Some people's parents teach them the family business or how to meet a rich spouse or how to cook. Not me. My parents taught me how TO SHOP.
If you love clothes, shoes, food & drink as much as I do, then you are in luck: I am your feet on the street in New York telling you where to get great stuff at a good deal.
Follow me as I trek through the shops and restaurants of New York (and cyberspace) on your behalf...

Friday, May 30, 2008

Rebecca & Drew, the brand that aims to transform your work wardrobe with its tailor-fit shirts and dresses, is having a series of Summer Sales all leading up to the blowout sample sale in August.The first sale will take place on Monday, June 2nd with markdowns from 30-50% on Spring merchandise.Address: 342 W. 13th St. @ Hudson St.Hours: 11:00am - 7:00pmAccepted Payment: Cash, Credit Cards, CheckNo other special Rules. Just go!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Reminiscent of any high-end Soho boutique, but right in the midst of Hell's Kitchen, dwells Kifka + Heller, where the Devil really is in the details.

Reopened this past April, K+H provide wearable, chic fashions for the men and women in and around the 10019. The current collection is designed using rich but versatile materials such as silk jersey, leather, linen and denim with the idea that fashion-forward couples can build wardrobes that are complementary and also linked via meticulously designed and styled travel bags (see photos).

So what more can be said about New York City clothing boutiques that we all haven't already heard? Well, in this case, K+H caters to an individual's tastes and desires. Want that dress in a different color? Ask. Need help figuring out how to wear those jeans and top? They'll style you from head to toe (and will lend you shoes to ensure that you can visualize the full package that is you). Feel like you need some jewelry to go with those new separates? They have a relationship with the jewelry designer next door. In the "industry" and need wardrobe? They do industry rentals. Hell, need a one-of-a kind chair for your living or bedroom? Well they make those too.

So what does the (near) future hold? For the forthcoming Summer 2009 collection, K+H are planning new designs using green fabrics comprised of bamboo / hemp and blends. Just don't roll them up and smoke 'em.

Going to K+H is more like visiting your personal stylist and having your whims catered to from the minute you walk in the door, but without price points that will send you running back to TJ Maxx (their prices generally run from $185-$950). And I can almost guarantee that if you go there now, you will one day be able to say, "Oh I used to go to Kifka+Heller back in the 2000s when they only had that small space on W. 49th St!"

Friday, May 23, 2008

My love affair with hats, which began in the 80s and took a hiatus through the 90s and most of this decade has been reignited. The right hat is the most transforming accessory one can wear. Yes, even more than a pair of shoes or a PURSE (eww). In that regard, might I suggest you check out the Eugenia Kim sample sale, which commences on June 10. Read on for the 'tails...

All Eugenia Kim HATS, HAIR ACCESSORIES, and BELTS for both WOMEN and MEN will be 50-70% off. Original runway samples from DKNY, Coach, and Michael Kors will be sold along side the following popular styles from the SS08 collection:• Cameron Diaz's straw Max fedora (was $285, now $125)• Paris Hilton's Marissa engineer cap and Muffy equestrian caps (was $185, now $95)• Fergie's silk headscarves (was $155, now $65)• Pete Wentz's linen porkpie (was $195, now $85)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Cushy Brands soaps could really only be from some non-U.S. entity, probably Japan, but in this case, London, England. Maybe you've heard of this place? Anyway I got four 175 g soaps (does anyone know how big this is in our ridiculous non-metric system? Well anyway they are BIG soaps) in Lime Cologne, Pink Fig, Lime Colada and Citrus Bliss. The smell makes me want to eat them. Or at least put them somewhere that doesn't smell that nice. I haven't washed myself with them yet, partially because I don't want to disrupt the over-the-top packaging. The little boxes are like mini-"drawers" in which you find your special bar of soap engraved with an "HB" or a "C" (not sure why...but let's just go with it). The Lime Colada and Citrus Bliss packages are adorned with tweaked animal creatures on one side and letters from "Honey Bunny" on the other (AH-HA! The "HB" mystery is solved!) with lines like this, "Kitty Colada has always been known as the most Fashionable and Stylish Cat in town. Being seen constantly sipping Cocktails in the most happening joints has become a ridiculous obsession!" (Has someone been reading my diary?) The soap flavo(u)r is described as "AWESOME WILD COCONUT AND EXOTIC LIME COCKTAIL" and the "drawer"-part looks like that fake wood paneling from a station wagon circa 1980. I think someone over there is on happy drugs. But better for the rest of us to enjoy the results!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

If You Can’t Take It, Fake ItSo you can’t afford to shop in the new John Varvatos boutique in the old CBGB. Don’t get your leather in bunch: neither can Mike Albo — though he wants to, because everything fits so well. If, like him, you’re not “punk rock enough to shoplift,” head to the Varvatos showroom’s sample sale (207 West 38th Street; 212-239-7272) where suits, blazers, knits, T-shirts from spring, summer and fall are marked down by as much as 70 percent through Friday. Rawk.

Monday, May 19, 2008

I really like the store Sacco. Problem is, it's a little bit too pricey for me. However, they have some really spot-on shoes and accessories, two of which I treated myself to for my birthday this weekend (I went to the one near Union Square). Additionally, they a running a little promo right now; if you buy one item you get 10% off, two items 15% off, and three items 20% off. It's not a complete windfall, but it provides you that little bit of encouragement you need to say, "oh what the heck!?"

The first, as you can see, is a pair of black suede sandals. They look a little bit dowdy, I agree. Until you put them on! Then they transform into this comfy solution to all of your seasonal shoe issues. You can wear them with anything and well into the early fall. A score indeed.

Then, I purchased this leather backpack - mainly because my Chiropractor told me to. But also because it turned out to be about $300 cheaper than the one I was considering having Jutta Neumann make for me. (Jutta's handcrafted leathers are really wonderful, but the price tags are just too much for me to justify. If you can stomach them, I suggest you check out her store on Allen St.) Anyway back to the pack - I also do really like it. It's simple and goes with everything and doesn't make me feel like a dork for wearing it.

See what happens? You get a year older and start wearing "health-conscious" apparel. Sigh...

Not only did I complete the AIDS Walk yesterday, but I did it in about 1 hour and 40 minutes (yes, I realize it's not a race, but this is my version of a marathon) AND.... I RAISED $1,005! Thanks to all of you for helping me reach and exceed my fundraising goal!

And, if you haven't heard:New York, NY, May 18, 2008--The 23rd Annual AIDS Walk New York, on Sunday May 18, was the largest and most successful AIDS Walk ever held, setting a fundraising record even in the face of a troubled economy. Organizers announced that 45,000 walkers helped to raise a record total of $7,058,497. Since its inception in 1986, AIDS Walk New York has now raised more than $100 million for Gay Men's Health Crisis and dozens of tri-state area HIV/AIDS organizations.

Friday, May 16, 2008

To receive the 20% discount, enter code SPRING during checkout. No minimum purchase required. Cannot be applied to previous purchases or combined with other offers. Not valid at Retail or Factory Stores or on employee purchases.

This offer expires Monday, May 19 at midnight PST (that means 3 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20 for us New Yorkers!)

As fashion retailers vie for scarce business this spring, one clear winner is emerging: you, the consumer.Markdowns of spring and summer clothes that would normally begin in June started in March this year -- an early thawing of prices brought on as luxury department stores tried to warm up the chilly response to fashion this season. High-end boutiques have felt compelled to follow suit, and discounters have been able to nab luxury goods months earlier than usual.In many places, spring styles have been marked down before it's even warm enough to wear them. Finally, fashion's seasons -- which always feel somewhat premature -- have gotten so out of whack that they actually work in shoppers' favor!The wave of discounting could ripple through seasons to come. Stores are likely to cut back on the trend-setting looks shown on runways in Milan, Paris and New York and instead focus on tamer clothes that are easier to sell. Indeed, Kelly Golden, co-owner of Neapolitan, a high-end boutique in Winnetka, Ill., near Chicago, says she plans to cut her purchases of runway looks to as little as 10% of her inventory, from around 20%, when she places orders this fall.Right now, bargains abound on runway styles. If you had your eye on Prada's iconic wave-striped handbags as their wearers minced down Milan's runways last October, you can now pick one up for 20% off at Bluefly.com. Or how about one of those Cynthia Steffe georgette tunics from the designer's spring runways -- at 40% off?Barneys New York notified customers of a one-week sale of up to 40% off starting May 20. Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale's have had their own sales of warm-weather styles.The early markdowns are largely a result of flagging consumer confidence. With home foreclosures, sky-high gas prices and financial-industry layoffs making headlines, many middle-class consumers sharply cut back their spending, particularly avoiding splurges on high-priced shoes, handbags and designer fashions. Stores, though, made their purchases of spring goods early last fall, when the luxury industry was still enjoying double-digit sales amid an orgy of interest in such frivolities as ostrich handbags and Louboutin platform sandals.When racks of $750 sandals are marked down to $400 this fast, even the keenest shoppers learn patience. Consumers "are not going to want to pay full price for anything," predicts Ms. Golden of Neapolitan. Though she didn't have a spring sale last year until mid-June, she launched a 40%-off sale this week. Many of the clothes, from Tory Burch, Michael Kors and other designers, arrived in her store less than two weeks ago. Ms. Golden says her revenues are actually up 20% from a year ago. But when major department stores are discounting, she says, she has to match them or risk selling at even deeper markdowns in June.If stores like hers cut back on the most dramatic fashions, as seems likely, it will further enlarge the disconnect between the runway looks the public sees -- styles that set the tone in fashion magazines -- and the plainer (but often excellent) "pre-collection" designs that consumers see more frequently in stores. Less dramatic pieces are less risky, and in a slow season, their very lack of distinctiveness means they can hang around longer on store racks without looking stale. The runways' relevance has been falling for years. Now, "resort," "pre-spring" and "pre-fall" collections account for 70% to 80% of the clothes and accessories in stores.Weirdly -- considering that we haven't yet celebrated Memorial Day and schools won't let out for a good month -- new fall designs are hurrying spring and summer styles out the door. As designers race to be first into stores for the next season, tweed and dark wool looks from the likes of Carolina Herrera, Tuleh, Zac Posen, Pucci and Michael Kors are already on store floors -- suggesting that nothing about the timing of fashion is likely to get saner soon.Some specialty manufacturers and retailers that stayed focused on the truly wealthy say they haven't felt the same bite as the mass purveyors. Pier Guerci, president and chief executive of Loro Piana U.S.A., says his cashmere company's sales so far this year are up by double-digit percentages over last year. He has been struggling, to little avail, to keep his company's cashmere and other luxury lifestyle wear from being swept up into department stores' sales. "We try to talk them into the fact that our customers are more than willing to pay full price," he says.All the off-kilter fashion timing plays into the hands of Internet discount sites, which are already busy selling designers' current spring and summer collections. Melissa Payner, chief executive of Bluefly.com, says this spring's retail slump has enabled Bluefly to sell current-season designer fashions at 40% or more off. Ms. Payner notes that Bluefly is seeing more inventory than usual this season.While department stores launched spring and summer collections in January, Bluefly waited until March to buy and took the luxury of reading trends when they were already happening. That enabled the site, among other things, to order more blue than yellow after early predictions that yellow would be big failed to come true. And thank goodness, because yellow is a hard color to wear, no matter what the price.---Email Christina.Binkley@wsj.com

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Lord & Taylor's Private Sale is going on now. And now it's not so private. Click here to review the savings!

Speaking of which, they really are having some major ass sales over there - I scored a Michael Kors top for Mother Guerilla for $42 (regularly $98) and was ready to start shopping for myself, but ran out of time...

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

OK so I'm a Zipcar member and am a fan of the shared car idea - especially now, what with the environment and gas prices and all that jazz. Except, I'm not so sure it works so well in good ol' NYC. Why? Well let me tell you a little ditty.

I had reserved a Mazda so that I could zip home to visit the Mother Guerilla on mother's day. Per direction from the confirmation email I received, I called the garage on W. 21st Street an hour ahead of time to ensure that the car would be waiting for me. I called five times and the number was not in service. This should have been my first clue that things were not going to go well.

But I soldiered on and made my way over to the GMC Garage at 10 W. 21st St. When I got there the attendant told me I had the wrong garage, and that I should go across the street to the parking lot, which I did. When I got there I talked to the lot attendant and showed him my confirmation print-out. Even though the car on my confirmation was silver, he told me that the red Mazda in the middle of the lot was mine. But I didn't think that it was, so I went back over to the garage and called out for the attendant. When he didn't arrive I started back up the driveway and ran into him and explained that my car had to be in his garage. Again, he told me there were no Zipcars in his garage but that he'd personally take me back to the lot across the way. And there it sat, alone...the red Mazda. Insisting that it was my car, he suggested that I flash the my Zipcard over over the thingy in the windshield, and if the doors opened, it would certainly prove that it was indeed my car.

Click-click. Voila! The doors opened, proving that indeed this was my Zipcar.

So I got inside and motored my way towards the West Side Highway. En route I called Zipcar to tell them about the weird garage/lot address debacle and the ditzy but nice lass on the other end assured me she'd alert the proper people of the mistake.

About an hour later, after I had arrived at Chez Guerilla I received a long message from some guy at Zipcar HQ berating me for taking someone else's Zipcar and how I can't just up and take another's car because mine isn't there and that they had to go through some huge ordeal to rearrange car reservations and that they were trying to ensure that I could keep the car until 5 p.m. the next day like I had planned, but that it was possible I'd have to get it back by 10 a.m. because the car I had was already taken.

Um WHAT?!

So I called Zipcar back and told my zany story, to which a witch on the other end responded, "it is the member's responsibility to ensure that they have the correct car, just because yours was late coming back doesn't mean you can take any car. You took the Mazda Mio but were supposed to get the Mazda Milo..."

OK, first of all, and this sounds totally girly, but I have no idea what the difference between a Mio and a Milo is. Do you? Anyway, I pointed out that I had no idea that MY car was late and that I didn't just take any car, I took the car that two attendants insisted was mine - and then when my card opened the door, it seemed they were correct.

She angrily ignored my tale of angst and woe and instead told me I should have...wait for it...CHECKED THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBERS.

Um...Wha?! Come on now, really. I'm not really sure what other lengths I could have gone to in an effort to get MY car, but at the point at which my Zipcard opened the door of the red Mazda Mio, I was convinced I did the right thing.

Then when I told her that I needed the car until 5 p.m. because I was visiting my mother on Mother's Day, she told me that it would cost me an extra $50 PER HOUR in late fees, or another $350 (on top of the $120 I was already spending). $470 to rent a car for one day? WHAT A BARGAIN!

Of course had Zipcar alerted me to the fact that the car I had reserved was late coming back, I would have waited until it showed up. That's pretty much all it would have taken to avoid this keystone cop episode.

Anyway upon urging from Mother G., I called back and talked to a much more reasonable Canadian fellow who apologized for my hassle and assured me that I could keep my car until 5 p.m. like I planned. Things seem to have worked out...but the bill remains to be seen..

So I'm wondering if NYC is cut out for this kind of "sharing." Perhaps we should just stick to sharing...sharing...um...do we 'share' anything around here (besides germs)?

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Rag Nation / Transfer International is having a Spring clearance sale this week. Rag Nation is a resale & discount designer clothing showroom located on Park Ave S. @ 17th St. Their business is primarily online (http://www.rag-nation.com/ and http://www.transferny.com/), but this sale is for walk-in customers only. They carry new and used men's and women's clothing, shoes, bags and accessories from designers like Prada, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Paul Smith, Etro, Comme des Garcons, Dries Van Noten...

Hey have you heard about "Shop It To Me?" I just signed up and it seems pretty cool. They may make an online shopper of me yet.

So what is it? It's this online shopping service you sign up for that proactively sends you clothing that matches your size and brand preferences as soon as it goes on sale. Sort of a free personal online shopper featuring brands such as Theory, Prada, Armani, Ella Moss, Juicy Couture, Seven Jeans, DKNY, or BCBG. It scours websites of leading retailers like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Banana Republic, Gap, Zappos and Bluefly and email a daily or weekly summary of on sale items in your size.

They also have a blog that provide insights on fashion tips and tricks that seem helpful, if not competitive (to ME!). http://blog.shopittome.com/

Nordstrom is changing the logo on their makeup, so they're selling everything that says 'e.l.f.' for $1!

I got this message from a stringer today, and could hardly believe it myself. So I visited the enclosed URL: http://www.eyeslipsface.com/shop.asp and clicked on a couple of items, and it's true. ONE DOLLAR. Although hurry up, it looks like things are flying off the e-shelves.

Apparently, The make-up line e.l.f. ( eyes, lips, and face) has been bought out by Nordstrom and will be re-packaged with the Nordstrom name on it, so they are getting rid of all the make-up in e.l.f. packaging. You do have to pay shipping, however, even with that charge it's cheaper. They have powder, mascara, brushes, nail polish, you name it. Also, if you use the coupon code: CAROLINA you will get $7.50 off the first $15 of your purchase.

But at the very least, go to Kenneth Cole for a special night of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and shopping at Kenneth Cole New York, Rockefeller Center, 610 5th Avenue. 20% of all purchases this evening will be donated to AIDS Walk New York.

Saturday, May 03, 2008

I think I like the first one I posted a couple of days ago better, but the colors in this logo are nifty. Tell me what you think. I am interested in the court of public opinion. Oh, and these logos are courtesy of a wee beast of Guerilla.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Perhaps stereotypical of a New Yorker, I don't find myself at many typical tourist attractions. I've never been to the top of the Empire State Building, never to the Statue of Liberty, I'm not a big fan of Broadway, etc. But, I do love my annual jaunt to Coney Island/Brighton Beach, which will continue to become more of a tourist attraction for years to come.

The best neighborhood joint in my neighborhood is the Rodeo Bar & Grill, hands down. Good food, drink and free live music. The best late night joint in town? Well, I don't do late nights like I used to, but I guess I'd have to say L'Express on PAS - they serve food until all hours and you can get quite a "show" in there, depending on what time you arrive. The last cultural thing I did was attend an art auction in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, at which I didn't buy anything, except a couple of drinks. I don't get to go to enough fancy schmancy restaurants, and now that my dad is retired, I can't even rely on him to take me anymore. However, we did recently go to the Gramercy Tavern and the food and atmosphere - and the hooker in the bright yellow mini dress from the 80s - were excellent. My friend is going to kill me for letting the cat out of the bag on this one, but the best bar to meet members of the opposite sex is Marshall Stack on Rivington St. Seems like men over the age of 28 are in there actually looking to talk to women in the same age group. Not exactly a fashion trend, but something that I have been most pleased with during the past couple of years is that shoes and boots have really upped the ante. There was a phase there in the 90s where I could hardly find a pair I liked, but now I am overwhelmed with the selection that not only suits my tastes, but also encourages me to take some fashion risks that I might not have taken before. Oh, and one request to the footwear designers who are reading this: please keep making tall leather boots that fit around normal sized calves. Thank you. My favorite brand? Well I find myself in Club Monaco's sale section all too often, but on a more elite scale, I can't believe the genius behind Marc Jacobs. And while I can't afford to buy even a T-shirt, I am blown away by his style sensitivities, and perhaps more than that, his marketing approach! Other brands large and small should take note.

p.s. Howdja like my new logo? I have another one to unveil tomorrow. I think this one is my favorite though.

About Me

I've been beating retail at its own game since the 80s! For decades I have been keeping my shopping techniques secret. People always ask me, "where did you get that!?" I rarely gave a straight answer because I didn't want others to encroach upon my style. But now I'm older, wiser, and more willing to share.
While I make a decent living, I am not independently wealthy by any means. I grew up in a very middle class way as the child of midwestern parents, so I'm fairly down to earth. However, my shopping technique has allowed me to own tons of great stuff...without being in any debt...EVER. Follow me on Twitter too: http://twitter.com/GuerillaShops